This invention relates to devices for crushing metal containers, and more particularly, to a device for crushing generally cylindrical metal cans thereby reducing the bulk and facilitating recycling thereof.
Metal containers, especially generally cylindrical metal cans, are conventionally utilized to transport and store beverages and foods in the consumer chain. The ever increasing marketplace demand for such metal containers coupled with exhaustible worldwide supplies of ores containing metal, such as aluminum, used in fabricating such containers has rendered recycled containers an attractive source of such metal. Currently, several metal container manufacturers redeen used metal containers recycled by the consumer. Metal recycling not only retards the exhaustion of finite metal ore supplies, but also, reduces the litter caused by improper disposal of metal containers.
One problem encountered in recycling metal containers is the shear bulk created by a plurality of containers. As accumulation of a relatively large number of metal containers prior to redemption thereof is economically desirable to consumers, reducing the bulk of each metal container is important to facilitate recycling. Several prior art devices have been proposed to reduce the bulk of containers, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,446,898 to Alvarez, 2,603,270 to Voight et al and 3,948,164 to Pobuda et al disclose can crushing or flattening devices which are manually operated. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,466,907 to Nadolny et al, 3,299,802 to Black, 3,776,129 to Carlson and 3,804,004 to Krebs relate to can crushing or flattening devices which are operated by pedals. In the operation of each of these prior art can crushing or flattening devices, the crushed or flattened can must be manually removed from the device. Other prior art can crushing or flattening devices, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,777,659 to McCarten, 3,853,054 to Jacobsen and 4,058,054 to Markman, require changing the orientation of the can during crushing by manual manipulation thereof. Such manual removal or manipulation of a crushed can is cumbersome and exposes the operator of the device to risk of physical injury caused by sharp and jagged edges of the crushed can. Additionally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,043,212 to Hasselquist and 3,667,386 to Workman relate to can crushing or flattening devices which require the operating handle of the device to be manipulated through a series of strokes so as to crush a can. Several of these prior art devices have a relatively complex construction.
Thus, a need exists for a device for crushing metal containers, especially generally cylindrical metal cans, which does not require manual manipulation of the container during or after crushing, which is of relatively simple, dependable and economical construction and which requires the operating handle to be manipulated through only a single stroke to activate the device.